Chapter 9- Reclaiming an Empire
The next few weeks passed by like a flash of lightning. The Dunmer had made it to Riften quickly and awaited Burz gor Ka's arrival with the dragon army. The Redguards began an assault on the western side of Cyrodiil once the Bretons joined them. Once the Dominion forces moved to the west, the Imperial Army began its march into Morrowind. They met little resistance as the An-Xileel had few forces there, and even recruited the Redoran Guard. Their march to the Black Marsh was quick and painless. Once they got close to border, they halted and prepared for a fight. The Dunmer would side with the Empire and fellow Dunmer, but the Argonians of the Black Marsh had been seeking power from this war. They would not be so welcoming.
"How are we to pass through the marsh undetected?" General Rikke asked Ambarys. He had proposed the idea of avoiding conflict until they reached Elsweyr.
"The Marsh is all swampland! We simply avoid towns. There are few roads here. They wont have traveling soldiers." He stated.
"But what of the Hist? Do they not commune with the Argonians?" She asked.
"That is just lore and nonsense! The Hist are just big trees that the uncivilized tribes worship." Ambarys replied with a scoff.
"I feel we are greatly underestimating these Argonians. They defended themselves very well against the hoards of Oblivion." Burz chimed in.
"I just can not envision these lizard folk being much of a threat." Ambarys said. "I think we are smart enough to make our way around them with out any conflict."
"The point of all this is to unify the Empire again. Right now the An-Xileel control most of Morrowind, and the Black Marsh. They must be defeated with the Dominion if you want your home back. Also, if we make it through, and start a fight in Elsweyr, we leave our backs exposed to attack. We can not risk it." Rikke said with authority.
"Well then what do you propose we do?" The Dark Elf asked.
"I say we reason with them," came a cold, familiar voice. The group turned around to see Al-Sien sitting on a log behind them. She was sharpening a blade, and looked rather smug that she had made her way into camp.
"Reason with them? How?" Asked Ambarys, who was oblivious to who the Argonian was.
"The Hist are not just big trees as you say. They are our brothers. We help them to grow, and they do the same for us. Win the trees, you win the lizards." Her voice was calm, and unnerving. "The Argonians worship the same father as I. Sithis is the one they serve. I can help you there. I am the servant of his wife, the Night Mother. I am also the grand daughter of the Prince of Madness himself. I would be a goddess to the 'uncivilized tribes.'" She looked with disdain at Ambarys. Burz knew the contract was keeping her from killing him.
"So this is what you wanted all along? You were not doing this for your mother. You were doing it for a chance to unite the Argonians under you." Rikke said with anger.
"Oh, no no no. Mother calls for it. The Brotherhood is small and weakened. We are in need of the great Shadowscales that once served Sithis. Mother calls for a new Listener, and I am to be Queen of the Marsh. She says we can be apart of your... Empire." A grin grew on the reptilian face. She winked at Burz. If she became Queen, killing her would be an act of war on his part.
"General, are we going to trust this... Murderer?" Burz asked. His rage welling up.
"It seems we are going to have to for now. She is still under contract." Rikke said, her gaze fixed on Al-Sien.
"Oh goody! I can't wait to rule a country! Pappy will be proud! Let us march in! Come on now!" She stood up and began making her way to the swampy border.
"Wait a minute! Hold on!" Rikke called out. Al-Sien stopped and faced the group. "We can't leave just yet. We have to rest for the night."
"Great! I don't need you for talking. I am no puppet that needs a hand in me to make talks. But that could be fun..." She smirked at that and continued on her path, "Better without big strong men to scare any way."
"We are coming with you!" Rikke called out. The three followed the Argonian into the Marsh. It was dark and moist. An almost instant change. The trees towered over them, and had luscious vines that hung low to the ground. The tree tops were so thick that they touched and blotted out the sun. The trees almost seemed to lean into each other. The ground was soupy and brown. Without sun to evaporate the extensive rain the water just kept collecting in this vast marsh. Al-Sien seemed to have little trouble moving through the muck, but Burz in particular was having a difficult time.
Hours passed, and the quartet had yet to find anything. They had patrolled through mud and muck and too numerous a variety of vines.
"Do you know where we are going?" Burz called. He had a difficult time keeping up with the group. He was not used to wading through a swamp.
"We just keep going!" Al-Sien yelled with a smile. She seemed very at home in the thick forest of vine and mud.
"Have you ever really been here?" Ambarys asked with a chuckle. Al-Sien stopped and spun around, fury on her face.
"This was my home!" She screeched. "Long before that frozen rock, I made my way through here!"
"We mean no disrespect, it's just... We feel lost. Surely we would have run into something by now..." Rikke said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"To be lost, we have to have no idea where we are. I know exactly where we are!" The others looked in anticipation, "We are in the Marsh! If you want to run into something, close your eyes." They looked in dismay at her. They were lost, Burz thought to himself. It was then they heard a hissing sound. It was rather faint, but was growing in strength. "Ooooooohhhh... We are in for a treat! You just let me handle this, trust me." Al-Sien said, her eyes giddy with anticipation. The trees began to shake, their leaves creating a heavy rustling. The hissing grew louder, as if it was coming closer to them. They began to hear obscure words coming from all around them; the voices, a loud whisper. The trees shook more. Al-Sien began to leap and dance in joy.
"Trespassers... Outsiders... Do not trust... Get them!" The words became more clear as the whispers grew closer. The trees and vines around them were shaking like blades of grass in the wind. It was as if the forest itself was angry at their presence. The wind howled, and the water rushed. Al-Sien fell to her knees.
"Brothers in Sithis! I have returned!" She screamed over the commotion.
"Sister! You have returned!" The voices exclaimed, and the trees shook more.
"Lead them to us! Mother has a plan!" Al-Sien began to weep.
"It shall be done!" The voices replied. The forest fell silent. All was as still as it had been seconds before. The three friends looked at each other in disbelief. Burz spoke first.
"Was.. Was that the Hist?" He asked timidly. Al-Sien grew a sinister smile as she looked in the water. She stood slowly and began to giggle.
"Why, yes. This is the spot of my birth. These are my kin." She said, still looking into the water. Her voice was low and calm. "Others will be here soon. Let me speak with them." She walked to a near by log at sat down. Her eyes closed and she began to meditate. A few moments past before lights could be seen in the distance. They were accompanied by soft voices. And the hissing. They slowly made their way to the quartet.
"Who are you people?" A large Argonian asked.
"We are a small scout party from a very large army from Morrowind. We have come to take the land," Al-Sien stated, her eyes still closed. Burz's expression turned to shock. What could she be thinking? The Argonian soldiers circled around them.
"Tell us where your army is!" the leader bellowed.
"I can not tell you that part. But if you were to capture us, and take us to your An-Xileel, and we can discuss further action. Take us into custody, we will not fight." She said. She opened her eyes and cast a gaze the Legion soldiers. Her eyes were calm.
"Tie them up!" The leader yelled. The Argonian soldiers closed in on them and bound their hands with thick vines. Burz was tempted to break free, but Al-Sien seemed almost prophetic, and was clearly in the favor of the Divines. He had to trust her for now.
After hours of being dragged along, the group finally saw small huts and roaring fires. They were brought through the village and up a large hill that rose out of the water. On top was a large hut, built out of the surrounding trees. It was small compared to the castles of Skyrim or Cyrodiil, but it was obvious that it belonged to the leader of this tribe. "You will go in there now," Said the leader of the soldiers. He pointed a long, slender finger towards the hut. The Argonians let go, and the Quartet made their way to the hut. Al-Sien went in first.
Their was a large fire inside that cast a dim orange glow around the hut. It was in the center of the room, and the throne was just behind it. The fire obscured the view of the leader, but he looked much more reptilian than any other Argonian Burz had seen. He stood and began to speak. His stature was tall and round. Like that of an overgrown toad. He had boney spikes jutting from his scales all over his body. His words sounded like the hisses they had heard from the trees. Al-Sien spoke back in the Argonian tongue, Jel. The leader spoke again, this time in the language of men and mer.
"This one says you are from the Sky Rim. Is this true?" He asked, his voice raspy, as if resisting speaking with hisses. His teeth were razor sharp and looked like small pearl daggers jutting haphazardly from his gums.
Rikke answered him, "Yes, we are from Skyrim. We have brought an army of Dunmer to your borders to pass through to Elsweyr. We ask for safe passage." Her voice was clear and stern.
"I can not do thisss. You bring fighters. To us, this is an act of war. But why do you ask to passsss?" His speech was slow but sure. He had many dealings in this language, and he knew it well.
"We are at war with the Aldmeri Dominion, not your people. We ask to pass to attack them from behind."
"I see your strategy is strong. But the cat people will not let you pass either. Their allegiance lies with the mer. And again, we can not let you pass. You bring the gray ones back to their home. They will want our headssss." Ambarys looked at Rikke. She had promised him Morrowind. Al-Sien began to speak in Jel to the leader again.
"This one says you lie. She says you have brought her here to fulfill her destiny. She says I shall be cast out and she will take my place as leader of the An-Xileel! As Queen of the Marsh?" He said, his words more precise. His expression turned to rage. "I am An-Ei! King of the An-Xileel, King of the Marsh!" The Argonian walked towards them. He began to hiss once more. The fire dancing off his blood red skin. Al-Sien leaped onto his back and cut her vine ties with one of his horns. She dug into his skin with her claws as he tried to tear her off of his back. She latched on even harder. His hisses turned to screams.
The tribesmen came rushing in to find their king in a fight with the small assassin. They tried with no avail to stab at her with their spears. Every lunge they made met with their king rather than her. She was making his own people kill him. He fell to his knees in weakness. He was bleeding profusely. He begged his people to stop, and they followed his command. He continued to claw at his back as Al-Sien danced on him. She ripped one of the horns off of his back and stabbed it into his chest, knocking him over. The guards raised their spears again, but were afraid to attack. She leaned into his ear and hissed something at him. Then she got up off him and wiped the blood off of her face.
"By the rights of Sithis, and with regard to the Hist code, this kingdom is now mine. BOW TO ME!" A wicked smile came to her face. She yelled at the soldiers to bow to her a second time. They reluctantly threw down their weapons and dropped to their knees. She reached down and grabbed the Argonian crown and placed it on her head. "Go forth and tell the tribes. A queen has taken the throne this night. Queen Al-Sien, Duchess of Mania. Hail Sithis!" She threw up her hand in triumph. The Argonian soldiers drew up their arms once again and departed from the hut to go tell the hist and to spread the word.
A slow clapping came from the corner of the room. A slender silhouette came from the shadows. The light slowly illuminated a pale face with equally pale hair. Rikke recognized Astrid from the Dark Brotherhood. "Bravo, Listener. Bravo indeed." She said with a smile as she embraced the blood soaked Queen.
"Did you hear her voice?" Al-Sien asked hastily.
"I did, sister. It was as you said. I am now the Listener." Astrid said, her smile grew bigger.
"You are once again in charge of the Brotherhood!" Al-Sien said with a beaming grin.
"I will not abuse it this time! And with you being Queen here, we shall grow to our former glory! With the help of the Empire." Astrid's gaze turned to Rikke.
"Yes indeed." Al-Sien joined her in looking at Rikke. "Now that this has been dealt with, be on your way! You will not see me for the rest of this contract. Your dealings will be with Astrid from now on. Go, follow the Hist to Morrowind. You will be granted passage through the Marsh." As the group began to depart, Al-Sien called after them again, "Oh, and gray skin, The Empire promised you Morrowind when it was not their land to promise. But I say to you, Sithis has willed it back to you with no bloodshed. Consider it a gift for aiding in my ascension to the throne." She bowed to Ambarys.
"Thank you, madlady," He bowed with a smile. The trio made their way back to their Morrowind camp, following the hissing trees. It was near a days journey back. Now they had to prepare for Elsweyr. There would be no negotiating safe passage with the Khajiit. They would be forced to do battle once they reached that border. But for now, they would rest.